Which to use
“distract” is a verb and “distracted” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,023
- “distract” frequency rank
- #8,534
- “distracted” frequency rank
- 19557
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | distract | distracted |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To divert the attention of. | having one's attention diverted; preoccupied; distrait (literary) |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set distract and distracted apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: distract is /dɪˈstɹækt/ while distracted is /dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “distract” sits inside “distracted”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19557, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
distract is recorded at frequency rank #11,023, classified as averb, pronounced /dɪˈstɹækt/. distracted is at rank #8,534, tagged as anadj, pronounced /dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 19557, this pair ranks #437,355 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of distract vs distracted
Shared letters: acdirst. Private to "distract": -. Private to "distracted": e.
"distract" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "distracted" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- distract ← ddistract · disrtact · disstract · distarct · distracct · distractt · distratc · distrcat
- distracted ← ddistracted · disrtacted · disstracted · distarcted · distraccted · distracetd · distractde · distractedd
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "distract" and "distracted" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "distract" or "distracted"?
Remembering distract vs distracted
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “distract”; for an adjective, it's “distracted”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “distract” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable